Microsoft denies immediate Surface Pro 5 launch plans

Microsoft's Panos Panay has shot down rumours that the company is working on a Surface Pro 5 two-in-one device, claiming that 'there's no such thing as a Pro 5' and won't be until there's 'meaningful change' to make.

While Microsoft has had entries in the hardware market in the past - primarily peripherals until the launch of the Xbox in 2001 saw the company enter the games console market - it wasn't until the launch of the Windows RT-based Surface two-in-one tablet-laptop hybrid in 2012 that it began competing directly with its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers. While Windows RT was short-lived, the Surface line lives on, but anyone holding off on a purchase for the next generation may have a while to wait, according to comments made by Surface lead Panos Panay in a recent interview.

'When it's meaningful and the change is right, we'll put [the next generation Surface Pro] on market,' Panay told CNET during an interview on the subject of the Surface Laptop, the company's first non-convertible Surface device since the name was originally attached to interactive tables. 'Meaningful change isn't necessarily a hardware change, which is what a lot of people look for. They're like, "where's the latest processor?" That's not what I mean. I'm looking for an experiential change that makes a huge difference in product line.'

Claiming that the current-generation Surface Pro 4 is a product that 'is going to be competitive for five years,' Panay added that 'you'll see that same meaningful impact when Pro 5, or Pro Next, hits the market,' before clarifying that 'there's no such thing as a Pro 5' at the current time.